Chip Anderson, Rolette, credits his fierce competitiveness and drive to succeed for his ability to play with some of the best in the world of darts. Representing Team USA in the Radikal World Championships in Spain in April ranks among the highlights in his 20 years as a competitive darts player.

“I am a very serious competitor, and if I am going to be away from my wife and boys to travel to tournaments, then I will give it my all to perform and do well,” Anderson said.

Anderson, 41, who is high school principal in St. John, plays at the professional level in soft tip darts. It was two years ago after finishing fourth in the amateur division at the Premiere Cup in Minneapolis that he became motivated to push himself to work harder and turn pro.

Pro status is obtained based on participation in major tournaments and on play statistics.

Submitted Photo Chip Anderson, second from right, and other members of Team USA hold their runners-up awards from the four-man cricket team event at the Radikal World Dart Championship in Spain last April. The team also placed first in the grand event, the four-man team 501.

“To play at that upper level, you have to put some time into shooting,” he said. “If you are going to be good at something, there’s work you put in and a dedication to it.”

At the Premiere Cup, Anderson met Willie Walker, a pro player from Washington state. They stayed in touch and decided to both play at the Radikal tournament qualifier in Idaho. Radikal makes a particular type of dart board.

Anderson and Walker both qualified for the Radikal championships in Spain, joining two players from Texas on Team USA.

“It wasn’t required to qualify, but if you won the tourney to qualify then most expenses were paid and you had a chance to represent Team USA,” Anderson said. “The tournament went well. Willie and I won the doubles event. Team USA was runner-up in the 4-man cricket team event and we won the grand event – 4 man team 501.”

It was the first time Team USA had ever won the grand event.

Whether taking a week off work to travel to Spain or just spending time in practice, Anderson said it can be a challenge to fit darts into his work and family schedule. That’s one reason he hasn’t become as serious about steel tip dart competitions as he has about soft tip. Steel tip is a more challenging game involving a smaller board. There’s also fewer opportunities for play. Anderson occasionally travels to Winnipeg for steel tip competitions and would like to get more involved in that style of game eventually.

Almost every day, Anderson can be found practicing his dart game.

“Locally the bar I play out of – Horsemen’s, owned by Ross and Kristy Zaste – does a great job of supporting us as dart players and does have a lot of tournaments,” he said. “We have a lot of good players in Turtle Mountains and they keep me in practice. There are also enough tourneys within North Dakota that keep me quite busy and in practice. The last year and a half I have started traveling to bigger tournaments outside of North Dakota.”

Those places have included Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana, Las Vegas and Chicago. Anderson is sponsored by Monstah Jerseys and by the dart product company L-Style.

The online opportunities with the digital boards at local bars also give him a chance to hone his skills against some of the best in the country. He has online equipment at his home, although he prefers playing at the bars.

“On-line has really helped me take my game up to another level,” he said. “That’s one of the really cool things is I pretty much know the best dart players in the U.S. I have gotten to know them over the last two years.”

Anderson said darts is a game easy enough for anyone to play, with leagues for all skills levels and boards that are programmed to handle all the scoring.

“Darts are different things for different people. Some people will be more serious and compete and see how good they can do, like myself. But for others, it’s a night out with friends, away from the daily rigors of life and work and is an opportunity to unwind with adults and have a good time,” he said.

Having watched his parents play, Anderson picked up the sport himself in his late teens. His wife, Stephanie, plays, as does the oldest of their three sons, who is 23.

Originally from Dunseith, Anderson was assistant principal in Belcourt for three years before coming to St. John five years ago. Anderson, who also coaches fifth and sixth graders in peewee football and middle school basketball, said his students at St. John vary in their interest in his dart playing. However, he seeks to use his experiences as a teaching tool.

“What I try and teach the students is that hard work pays off. Being good at anything is work, and working hard will pay off in the end,” he said.

Anderson has earned many state titles but hasn’t wallpapered any rooms with trophies and plaques. He’s not interested in resting on his laurels.

“I am always looking on to the next tournament,” he said. “I never take time to stop and say, ‘What I am doing is pretty good.’ I just kind of keep going because I want to see how far I can get.”